Cinema
by Kitty Darner
Summary: The Warners, their friends, and family must band together to defeat an evil demon's movie gauntlet in order to make it to the sequel and save their lives.
1. Movie Night

The summer breeze blew softly in the July night as I ran to the Warner Water Tower. It was movie night and it was my turn to bring the movie, which was some random scary movie I grabbed off the shelf in an attempt to be on time. I would've been on time, had Oliver not insisted on coming with me this time. But I couldn't say no this time, it would've been heartless to say it to him for the 7th week in a row. Although his pokiness was making a pretty good argument to why I shouldn't have brought him... Once at the tower we swiftly climbed the ladder and opened the door to a cacophony of impatient voices. I walked in and was greeted one by one by our usual group.

"Hey guys, I hope you don't mind but I brought a friend with me." I said waving Oliver in. He slowly came in and stood next to me unsure of what to do. He wasn't the only one for the group had fallen silent at the first site of him. Noticing this Missie rushed forward and gave him a hug, having met him before.

"Hi Oliver, long time no see!" Her cheerful voice greeted. He slowly hugged her back glad to know someone other me liked him there. The others reluctantly moved forward to meet him, all except for Yakko that is. He too had met Oliver before but unlike Missie they really didn't get along too well. I pushed through the crowd to find my slightly shorter cousin glaring at me with crossed arms.

"Why did you bring _him_?" He grumbled.

"It would've been almost two months of not bringing him and he's the only friend that hasn't been invited. Besides, it's not going to kill you to get along for one night!" I replied annoyed.

"You know I don't like him and I don't want him in my home!"

"I'm not asking you to give him a place to live! All I'm asking is for you and Oliver to get along for one night and then you don't ever have to deal with each other again, alright?

"... Fine, he can stay."

"Great! I'll go get the popcorn started."

I hug him tightly before grabbing Alicia and Missie to help me with the popcorn. I popped it, Alicia put it into bowls, and Missie seasoned it before sliding it down the counter to be taken to the couch. Alicia was in the middle of putting a fresh batch in a bowl when she saw Dot's head at the end of the counter.

"Hey Dot, do you want to help?" Alicia asked kindly.

"How? There's nothing left to do." Dot observed glumly. Missie looks around before grabbing a finished bowl to hand it to her.

"You can take the popcorn to the couch for us!" Missie exclaimed before giving her a little shove in that direction.

"Okay!"

Dot excitedly ran to the couch and placed the bowl on the left arm before returning for another bowl. I watched her and giggled, never had I seen Dot so happy to be involved. The youngest of our group by a year but she was still able to keep up with us without a problem, it still amazes me. I was lost in this thought when I started to smell something burning. My space out had caused me to burn the latest batch of popcorn which was now fuming a black cloud of smoke out of the machine.

"Oh geez!" I said in shock. I quickly unplug the machine and start fanning the burnt pile of corn to stop a fire from starting with a dish towel. The sprinkler system was activated and in seconds we were all soaked.

"Way to go Kitty!" Multiple voices shouted. I look at them bitterly before slamming my hand on the sprinkler deactivation button. The water stops and everyone starts ringing out their clothes while grumbling about the whole situation. One by one we all used the blow dryer to dry our clothes the best we could before heading back out to the living room. When the last one came out, I grabbed the DVD case and popped the disk in the player. I plopped down next to Oliver and felt someone tap my shoulder. I turn to look at them and see what is Yumi sitting upside down on the couch smiling at me. I jump, surprised at how close she was and made her giggle.

"What is it Yumi?" I ask, my heart still pounding in my chest.

"I was just wondering what movie we're watching!" She smiles. I pick up the case and read the title to everyone.

"Night of the Truck Stop Terror" I read with a shrug.

"Guess it's supposed to be scary."

"Well read the back, I want to know what it's about!" Wakko excitedly pushed almost knocking Remmy off her seat on his lap. She gives him a whack as I flip the case over and start to read the back.

"In this chilling thriller ten teens are stranded at an abandoned truck stop when their car runs out of gas on a road trip. As they try to find a way out of the middle of nowhere, they are met with the challenge of evading the psychotic locals who will do anything to make sure they don't leave. But there is another way out for them, and it's putting you in their place." I finish slowly. Everyone looks at each other before laughing.

"Oooo, _scary!_" Yakko says moving his hands in an attempt to look scared, making Yasmin giggle in his arms. The laughing continues for a few minutes before I click play on the remote and the movie starts.


	2. Scare by Tradition

The movie started with a group of five guys and five girls on a road trip like cover the said with a few jump scares here and there. But once they started snooping around the truck stop, it quickly escalated into the teens being hunted down for slaughter. We were watching the Hello Nurse of the teens search the kitchen by herself. The boys were talking to the TV trying to get her not to go into the meat locker, and although they were calm on the outside we all knew they weren't ready for what was about to happen. As the girl turned around to leave she ran into the farmer who was covered in blood from the last victim. We all screamed and tried not to see what was happening to her by hiding our faces but her screams of fear and agony burrowed into our ears, forcing us to look at the horror taking place on screen. The farmer was in the middle of tearing her esophagus out when I snatched up the remote and hit pause. I heard Dot crying and as I bent down to comfort her I caught the faces of the ones on the couch. Remmy was clutching a shaking Wakko around the chest while Yakko held a frail Yasmin in his arms, he himself looking sick from fright. Yumi was hiding _behind_ the couch just barely poking her head out from behind the back, her eyes wide. Then I looked at the ones lining the front of the couch, the ones who had been right in front of the action. It looked like a war zone with popcorn littering the floor from earlier jump scares and the pillows were strewn across a line of horrified viewers. Alicia and Missie were holding onto each other and a big throw pillow for dear life, their eyes shut tight. Oliver was holding a pillow over his shaking body, his teeth chattering from pure fear. All of them terrified beyond belief and we weren't even halfway through the movie. I reached to take the disk out of the player when someone grabbed my arm. I screamed before turning around to see Yakko, just as scared as me.

"Don't scare me like that! What is it?" I ask trying to catch my breath.

"We have to finish the movie, it's a tradition." He stated his racing heart audible from where I was standing.

"What?! Everyone is about to die from adrenaline overdose, and you're concerned about tradition?! No, I'm turning this off before one of us has a heart attack!"

"The movies half way through, if we take a little break before we continue everyone will be fine. Please, can we finish it?"

I look at his pleading eyes as they search mine for the answer he wants. My gaze shifts towards the others, their eyes look the same. Alicia and Missie move so one is on each side of Dot, she smiles at them and returns to staring at me.

"It _is_ tradition; we can't go back on that." Remmy agreed. I look at her and Wakko, both ready and willing to continue despite Wakko's potty emergency issues.

"She's right, tradition is tradition. If we break it what's the point of having it?" Yasmin quipped. She was curled up with a pillow waiting for Yakko's return to the couch so he could hold her, ready for the movie. Yumi walked out from behind the couch and stood tall to show she wasn't afraid. Oliver gave a nod which was all I needed to know he was game. Then it was back to Yakko, his eyes still searching. I let out a sigh, knowing I was defeated.

"I'll go get some blankets..." I said heading for the closet. As I walked away they let out cheers of victory before settling back into their seats. I shake my head as I grab four blankets from the shelf and start to give my opinion on the matter. But before I can something hits the floor and makes a loud crashing sound above us. We all jump and a few of us scream, I drop the blankets and dive in the closet. They all walked together in a huddle as they made their way to me, looking at every nook and cranny for a sign of the same thing I thought it was at first.

"K-Kitty, are you okay?" Remmy asked pulling blankets away from the door.

"Yeah Remmy, I'm just being strangled by a blanket." I call popping out of the blanket pile I hid under, scaring the group _again_.

"Good. Do you have any idea about that was?"

"I don't know, maybe it was the wind?"

I shrug and everyone starts to calm down, completely dismissing the idea that someone from the movie was upstairs... Until we hear the patter of something running across the floor and I dive in the closet again, only this time I'm joined by the others. We all squeeze in before the last of us pulls the door shut. The darkness quickly surrounds us and that's when the shouting started.

"Eeek, something just touched my arm!" Alicia shrieked.

"Sorry Ali, but something was tickling my foot!" Yumi squealed.

"Oops, my bad!" Oliver apologized.

"So you're the person who ripped one?" Missie questioned.

"No, that was me..." Wakko admitted. The smell drifted upwards and through the the mash of people into our noses, which made the closet even more unbearable. Our shouts filled the small room as we scolded Wakko.

"He can't help it, it's just his nature! Isn't it sweetie?" Remmy cooed, placing a kiss on his cheek. He blushed before we heard a loud gastrous sound that shook the closet. We all shouted in horror as the scent crept into our nostrils, permanently frying them. Someone turned the doorknob and sent us tumbling out of the closet gasping for air. In the midst of our breathing struggles another patter sounded from the ceiling above, reminding us of why we hid in the closet in the first place. Everyone screamed and tried to hide back in the closet but I blocked their path.

"No, I'm done hiding from every bump that we hear! Someone has to go up there and see what's making all that noise." I suggested. Everyone nodded to agree with my idea.

"Aaaaahhhhh... But who's going to do it?" Yakko asked looking around.

"Well that's easy. It's going to be the two oldest boys."

"Okay, that seems pretty fair and- Wait a minute that's me! Me and... Greeeaaaat."

"That's right, you and Oliver!"

"But-" They both protested.

"No buts just go."

They both shut their mouths and hang their heads before they start up the stairs. We hear them as they take each step, a creaking sound echoes down the staircase. When they reach the top all is silent except for their footsteps as they search the room above. Suddenly our ears are bombarded with their shouts.

"_Oh the horror!_" Yakko moans before another bout of shouting rings out. We all scramble up the stairs to find them on the ground laughing. They hear us and turn around to reveal... A fluffy black cat sprawled out in Oliver's arms. We all let out a sigh of relief, finally knowing what was causing all those noises.

"It must have climbed through an open window and couldn't find its way back out." Oliver guessed. He walked over to a window and slid the small feline outside.

"There, all taken care of!" Oliver stated looking confident.

"You girls should've been here to see Oliver's face when it jumped from the table, priceless!" Yakko chuckled.

"What about you? You're the one who screamed like a little girl!"

"Nu uh, it was you!"

The two bicker back and forth while we watched, ready for the first fight to start. Fed up I stepped in between the two, the fight diminishing within seconds.

"Now, if you two are done I would like to finish the movie. Everyone down stairs, movie time!" I shout herding them back down the staircase. We all took our places back on or by the couch and I started the movie again. But as I watched something kept nagging in the back of my mind. How did a cat get up five stories of metal?


	3. Sleep Fright

So we continued to watch the movie, the question still pestering me. I tried to stay focused on the movie and not on the question, the answer ridiculous, as my eyes drooped from sleep. But as my head started to bob I realized I was losing the battle to remain awake. I looked around and noticed I wasn't the only one; half of us were already asleep while the rest of us fought to finish the movie. I checked the time left in the movie, twenty minutes. I groaned and sat back next to Oliver who elbowed me in his sleep. I elbowed him back before leaning my head back against the couch. The bobbing and eye drooping was getting harder to fight, finally making me give in to sleeps sweet embrace. Soon all of us were in deep slumber, the movie irrelevant to us anymore. It wasn't until fifteen minutes before midnight that something woke me from my sleep. I glance at everyone else, all of them still asleep. What woke me up? I shake my head, maybe it was just me. Then Oliver's elbow jabs into my side, everything becoming clear. Oliver and I must have been elbowing each other in our sleep, and at one point he elbowed me hard enough to wake me up. I glare at him as I walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Fluff brain..." I mutter filling up a half glass from the kitchen sink. I take a swig and head back to the couch, sleep calling my name again. I'm almost there when I trip and fall into Oliver. I look back and see... The black cat from upstairs.

"How did you...?" I ask bewildered by its reappearance. It just hisses before dashing under the couch, I try to grab it before it can. I miss it by a mile. I lay on my stomach to pull it out but movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention. It's Oliver elbowing Alicia. I must have pushed him towards her when I fell on him and he must have thought Alicia was me so he continued to elbow her. I watch as he elbows her harder than before, looking for a response. Instead she falls forward onto Dot's lap which surprises Dot. Dot throws her hands out in surprise which hits Missie in the face. Missie's ears stand straight up in alarm which tickles Wakko's foot. Wakko laughs at his foot being tickled which causes Remmy to fall off his lap. Remmy is caught off guard and she falls back which makes her run into Yumi. Yumi falls forward off the back of the couch because of Remmy's momentum which makes her grab Yasmin's ponytail to avoid falling onto the ground. Yasmin screams from her hair being pulled by Yumi which shocks Yakko awake. Yakko so surprised by Yasmin's scream that he falls over the arm of the couch and onto the ground, a blanket trailing behind him. I grimace at the thud he makes and I quickly grab the blanket off his face.

"Are you okay?" I ask him with a sheepish smile.

"Yes." He replied bitterly, obviously not amused.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure of what? Sure of the fact that _Yasmin_ made me fall because if so yes, I am sure!"

"It's not my fault, _Yumi_ pulled my hair!" Yasmin shouted with a glance towards Yumi.

"Well _Remmy_ fell into me!" Yumi shot back glaring at Remmy.

"What?! _Wakko's_ the one that made me fall into you!" Remmy accused giving a smack to Wakko's head.

"Hey! It was _Missie's_ ear that tickled my foot!" Wakko pointed out while pointing at Missie.

"So?! _Dot_ smacked me in the face!" Missie stated sticking her tongue out at Dot.

"I couldn't help it; _Alicia_ scared me by falling into my lap!" Dot cried rolling Alicia off her lap.

"But it was _Oliver_ who elbowed me over!" Alicia defended motioning towards Oliver.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Kitty pushed me over!" Oliver ended, sending them all after me with glares.

"_KITTY?!_" They all questioned. I laugh nervously and back away slowly, but their enraged glares burn through my calm and I hold my hands up defensively.

"It was an accident! I wasn't looking where I was stepping and then the cat-" I stop and remember the cat that had caused all this was still under the couch. I lie back on the ground and reach under the couch for the cat. Unsuccessful I stand back up with a puzzled look on my face, confusing the others even more.

"Cat? Are you talking about the one from upstairs?" Yasmin asks looking worried.

"Yes! It was just here under the couch and now it's..." I drift off in disbelief.

"It's what?"

"...It's _gone_."

At that moment every face I saw showed the same thing. Fear.

"It has to be here, it can't just disappear!" Missie shouted looking under the couch herself.

"Kitty's right, I checked upstairs and it's not there either." Yumi confirmed my story.

"But how could it...?"

"I don't know but I do know one thing. None of the windows were open."

We all stop what we're doing and stare at her. I give her a look of disbelief and she nods back to signal she's telling the truth. I sit down on the couch feeling numb. Slowly everyone joins me and we squeeze together in a giant group hug.

"Hey, Yakko?" I ask him in a spaced out voice.

"Yeah?" He answers in the same voice.

"Is it okay if for tonight Oliver and I stay here?"

"Sure, at this point I think everyone is staying. What's two more?"

I was shocked to hear he was letting Oliver stay, fear overpowering his hate for the bear. We eventually parted from the group hug to find places to sleep for the night, none of us wishing to go home alone and in the dark. We all settled into our makeshift sleeping places to at least _attempt _to sleep. Yasmin and Yakko climbed into the top bunk, not wanting to be near the floor with the disappearing cat. Wakko, Remmy, and Yumi slept in the middle also wary of the cat. That left Dot, Alicia, and Missie on the bottom, all three looking around the floor for the creature. Oliver and I decided to sleep in the living room, knowing there wasn't any other place to go. I protested the idea but he gave me the couch willingly, ready to sleep on the floor. He brought two pillows from the closet before lying on the floor in front of the couch. We all said our goodnights and then it was complete silence. Although our eyes ached from sleep not one of us wanted to close them. So we sat in the dark, silent water tower watching everywhere for the cat's return. It wasn't until a creaking sound was made that we said anything.

"Oh my god, did you guys hear that?!" Asked a worried Alicia.

"Sorry, I had to move my leg." Remmy replied from the bed above.

We all let out a sigh of relief and again we sit in the dark. Then the floor lets out a groan and someone screams.

"The cat's back and it's in the _kitchen_!" Wakko shouts from under his sheets.

"No it's not; it's just me getting a drink." I yell back. They all start to sigh again but mid sigh the doorbell rings and we all scream. Hiding behind the counter, I can see Oliver is hiding behind the couch under a blanket and everyone on the bunks is hiding under the sheets. The bell rings again and we let out another scream.

"W-who is it?" Dot calls. We wait for an answer but as the seconds turn into minutes there isn't one. I slowly stand up and walk over to the couch to go back to bed when it rings _again_. The surprise makes me hit the deck behind the couch next to Oliver where I poke my head up to look at the door.

"Well we can't just sit here, someone has to check it!" Oliver suggests muffled from the blanket. No one moves and Oliver's impatience pushes him to get up and head for the door. He's ready to pull open the door when whoever is on the other side decides to ditch the doorbell and pounds on the door three times. It scares Oliver so much that he sprints across the living room and dives over the couch to hide.

"Alright, here's the plan." Remmy whispers.

"We're listening." I say back.

"Everyone grab something to defend themselves with and when we open the door, let em' have it!"

We all crawl out from our hiding spaces and grab random things to fight with before meeting up together in front of the door. They pound again and we all take six steps back. I take a deep breath before turning to my troops.

"Alright, is everybody ready?" I ask them quietly.

"Ready." They say back holding up their 'weapons'. I say that because as I look around I see pillows, lamps, popcorn bowls, and even someone else's foot in their hands. I can't really say much for I myself have a toaster grasped in my hands. But it would have to do; we didn't really have much to choose from. I count down from three on my fingers before I throw the door open and we all jump at whoever's there.

"_Get him!_" I command while smashing my toaster against the knockers head. I do this a few more times and then I see who it is we're attacking.

"Stop, everyone stop! It's just the mime!" I shout to the others who one by one stop attacking the mime. All except for Wakko who continues to beat the mime with Remmy's foot. Remmy taps on his shoulder to show him who it is. He smiles apologetically and pats the mime on the back.

"Sorry!" Wakko apologizes. The mime gives him thumbs up before he stumbles into and over the guardrail. We watch as he hits the ground, a loud crunching sound meets our ears and we wince.

"I'm glad _I_ didn't knock." A female voice says from behind. We all turn ready to attack when we're met with a pony. Oliver and I lower our weapons and walk over to her confused.

"What are you doing here Nicky?" Oliver asked blushing at his girlfriend.

"I went to your house to talk to you about our date tomorrow but you weren't there. I saw that mime out front and figured he knew where you went so I asked him if he did. And that's why we ended up here." Nicky finished her story. Oliver was about to say something else but was interrupted by a crash of thunder. A bolt of lightning followed and then it started to pour. We quickly ran back into the tower as the storm intensified. I watch out the window as everything outside blurs into a dark gray blob. But something catches my eye in the gloom and I squint my eyes to see what is. Another bolt of lightning lights whatever it is up and I can see it clearly. With one good look of what it is I scream and back away from the window as fast as my feet would allow. Everyone runs to me, my face ashen white.

"What? What did you see?" Missie searches for answers.

"De-dede-de w-wa u-ss..." I stutter aimlessly, the terrifying image still fresh in my brain.

"Stay with us Kitty! _What_ did you see?!"

"...Demon watching us..."


	4. Demon Deals

I can still see the glowing red eyes and sharp toothed smile as everyone stares at me. I start to feel numb and my body starts to shake, I'm going into shock. Someone notices this and grabs my arms, my legs collapsing underneath me. They pull me to the couch and wrap a blanket around my shoulders; another brings a cup of cocoa and tells me to drink. I don't know who's who anymore, the world becoming a blur of speed. I just sit there and stare into space unable to think or move. I hear someone saying something but it's too distant for me to understand or pay attention. Suddenly whoever it was grabs me by the arms and shakes me. I make out the brown slacks and connect the dots far enough to know it's Yakko who's been talking and shaking me. I read his lips for the words he's speaking, the shape of them familiar.

"Kitty snap out of it! Come on Kitty, we need you to stay with us!" He yells into my blank stare. I can hear him, but my body is unwilling to respond in any way. Finally fed up with my unresponsiveness he pulls his hand back and his face drops to a look of regret. He's going to slap me; I can already see it coming. As if reading my mind, he throws his hand across my cheek and waits for a sign. I gasp in pain and disbelief before turning back to my cousin. I raise my hand to my face and his body relaxes, knowing I've come back to reality.

"Did you just slap her?!" Oliver shouts at him.

"Well I had to get her to stop!" Yakko screams back.

"By slapping her?! She's in **shock **you idiot! You could've made it worse!"

"What else were we supposed to do, just sit back and watch her spiral into insanity?!"

As Nicky and Yasmin try to pull them apart, I roll my eyes and attempt to stand up, my legs still jelly. I start to fall but I'm caught by Wakko and Remmy who both smile to let me know they had me. I nod back before continuing to the window where I saw the creature staring back at me with an evil look on its face. I peek out through the rain covered glass to look for it; wanting to be sure that's what I saw. The lightning flashes and sure enough, right where I had left it, stood a demon with piercing red eyes and a mouthful of dagger like teeth.

"It's still watching us." I whisper forcing myself not to scream. Wakko and Remmy look at each other before looking for themselves. A lightning strike later they back away with eyes the size of dinner plates.

"What do you think it wants?" Dot asks grabbing Alicia's hand.

"It's just standing there, watching." I answer still looking out at the monster.

"But why?!"

"...I don't know."

There's a loud crash of thunder and bolt of lightning before all is dark. The storm had caused the power to go out, making the demon outside even more frightening. I look out the window to find the menace but when the light comes it's nowhere in sight. My eyes dart around searching for it to avail. I finally give up and feel my way to the kitchen where I find three flashlights and a candle. I make my way back to the couch to toss a flashlight to each of the Warners and light the candle. Its amber flame casts a glow upon our faces, illuminating each one with an eerie shadow falling behind.

"Kitty what about the demon?" Yumi questions with a worried look.

"I'm not sure where it went, but it's not out there now." I tell them.

They all look at each other with a mixture of terror and worry on their faces. A few hug for comfort while some others look around the tower, waiting for it to get them. I'm lost in thought of where it went when I see Yasmin's face is frozen in fear and is staring behind me. One by one they follow her stare and their faces copy hers. I begin to sweat as she points above and behind my head.

"Kitty..." Yasmin's voice squeaks. Slowly I turn around, already knowing what was there. Once in a full one eighty I'm met with a towering body made up of rotting flesh, skeletal spines, and fur. With a glance further up I see the sickly scarlet eyes and grotesque smile of the beast looking down at me. A blood curdling scream rises out of my throat and I scramble back off the couch trying to get away. I squeeze into the huddle that's now against the TV and watch in horror as it throws the couch out of its way, smashes it into a billion pieces. It continues to walk towards us as we cower at the size of it. A few steps more and it's upon us, breathing its foul breath down at us. Our minds are telling us to move but our bodies are too paralyzed by fear. Seeing this sight the creature lets out a deep bellowing laugh.

"Puny mortals, you have been chosen to take the place of the teenagers who beg for mercy before me." Its voice booms. We all shake and some whimper, but I stay completely frozen. He was talking about the movie, the movie _I _brought.

"But why us?! We didn't even finish the movie!" I scream at the beast.

"It does not matter; once you start you cannot undo what has been done." It replies with satisfaction. Then it hits me, everything that had been happening in the movie, was going to happen to us. We would be slaughtered unless another group watched the movie and we chose to put them in our places. I was not going to be a part of anyone's death, especially the deaths of my friends.

"Wait! What if we make a deal?" I shout up to it. It bends down and looks at me with interest.

"What?" It asks.

"If we can beat you at something, you have to let us go and stop slaughtering people who watch this movie."

"And if I win?"

"If you win... You can take us."

It pondered my offer, thinking about the consequences to come. After a few seconds it smiled slyly and stood up.

"Deal. If you can make it through my gauntlet you may live, but if you don't I get you. The challenge is set and its starts now." It stated pushing us back with its clawed hand. As we all moved back we scream, the TV is sucking us into it by an unknown force. My last sight before I'm sucked into the TV is the demon laughing horrifically. Then all goes black as I lose consciousness.


	5. The Loonies Part One

_Drip. Drip. Drip._ Water is falling into a puddle somewhere, the sound rings out alone against the silence. I can feel the cold as it takes over my body. My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness as I pull myself off the rocky surface underneath. I'm in a cave; somewhere deep underground for no light is perceivable. The water drops echo throughout the room giving me a sense of isolation. I pull my legs to my chest and curl my tail up around legs to regain some warmth. Once in a ball I realize my clothes have changed. Instead of my super baggy blue jeans I'm wearing skinny jeans with a snug fitting belt around my waist and my shirt has been turned into a striped long sleeve under a zip up sweatshirt. I inspect every piece of clothing in confusion and when I reach the sweatshirt pockets I feel my hand close around something cylindrical. Carefully I pull it out and feel it over to find out it's the candle from the water tower. The memories come flooding back to me, the demon and its deal to escape the last one. Just then a strong sense of determination washes over me, chasing the cold and fear away. I was going to beat that monster, if not for me but for my friends lives as well.

"Hellooooooo!" I yell in the darkness, my echo seemingly going on for miles. After five minutes of hearing my yell repeat I huff in realization that no one can hear me. Moving on from trying to find everyone the easy way, I reach into my miniature version of Wakko's Gag Bag that's strapped to my belt and pull out a match. I strike it and light the candle in my hand to see a cavern of red clay colored rock. Moving the candle around the room I look for a path to lead me towards the others. Suddenly the sound of something shuffling the floor behind catches my attention and when I turn I am met with the shock of my life. Sitting directly behind me is none other than _the black cat._

"_Where the hell did you come from?!_" I shout in surprise, my fur standing on end. The cat just sits there and stares at me, making my nerves fray until I can't stand it any longer. I lunge at the cat which darts to my right to avoid capture. I over judged the distance to the wall and before I can stop myself I smack my face on the scraggly rock wall. I hear a sickening crack and a few seconds later I feel a warm liquid ooze from my nose.

"Damn cat..." I curse the feline, before remembering _I_ was one myself. My hand flies up to my nose and I pinch it while I grab a bandage from my MGB. Once I'm sure the bleeding has stopped I place the bandage over my nose, the swelling making it hard to breath. Luckily I have an inhaler in the MGB so I take it out and take a big puff. I then pick up the candle and shine it the way the cat went to see a passage.

"Well what do you know?" I say in amazement. For the meantime the cat slips my mind and I head down the passage intent on finding the others. After what seems like hours the tunnel opens up to another slightly larger cavern. I walk forward waving the candle to light my way to another pathway, only to walk straight into a puddle. I drop my head and sigh, why me?

"Who's there?" A voice calls from across the room. I know that voice, the face seems distant but I do know it. They must have heard my splashing when I walked into the puddle.

"It's Kitty! Remmy, is that you?" I ask hopeful that it isn't just a trick. I hear splashing coming in my direction and no more than two seconds later I'm tackled to the ground by not one but three bodies.

"Yes, yes it's me, Wakko, and Yumi. We're so glad to see you! Well, to hear and hug you anyways."

"Are you guys okay? Did it do anything to you?"

"No, we're fine. Have you found anyone else?"

"You guys are the first."

Just then a cacophony of shouts and screams rings out against the walls which are quickly followed by a loud splash. A beam of light spins down from the top of the room and lands in the water with a slightly smaller splash. We carefully wade out to where the light landed to find out it's a flashlight, one that I handed to each of my Warner cousins. I reach down to pick it up out of the water when suddenly a hand shoots out of the murky darkness to grab my arm tightly. I scream and try to pry the hand off but it keeps it's vice like grip holds firm as it tries to pull me in. By now the other three are latched on to me trying to keep me from being pulled under, their strength quickly failing them. Then, as to slap me in the face for stupidity, a loud gasp for air fills my ears to let me know that it was just someone trying to get help out of the water. I grab onto what I think is their other arm and pull them up, finding it to be Yasmin. I quickly pat her back to make sure she's got the water out of her system. Once I know she's okay I grab the flashlight up and search the water for anyone else who might be there. My beam hits brown fur and I know its Oliver scooping up a drenched Nicky. They trudge their way over to us and confirm they're okay.

"Wait, where's Yakko?" Yasmin panics frantically looking around. I can feel the color flush from my face as I wade deeper into the water trying to find my cousin. One by one we all start calling his name, using the candle and flashlight to illuminate our paths. As seconds become minutes I start diving into the dark black water, unsure of how far the bottom goes down to. I was about to go down a sixth time when Oliver grabbed me.

"Stop! I'm sure he's just messing around, I highly doubt he's drowning." He reassures me. But I'm not buying it and I try to rip loose from his grip.

"Oliver's right that would be the kind of thing Yakko would do. Besides, he knows how to swim." Yasmin chimes in. I walk over to her, slightly shorter than me, and grab her by the arms. I look straight into her eyes, fear emanating from my own, and I tell her one of the biggest of my family secrets.

"Yakko _cannot_ swim! He's never been able to and he probably never will because of his hydrophobia!" I spill.

"But he's been in the water on the sho-"

"No he hasn't! That was just a platform and right after they cut the scene he had to be treated for psychogenic shock!"

They all look to Wakko who confirms my story with a nod. His face is pale and his eyes dart across the water looking for a sign of his older sib. With just one look of his alarmed expression we all continue to look, only more frantically than before.

"I found him! He's over here!" Yumi shouts pointing into the murky depths below. As I squint to see where her finger leads I can barely make out the faint glow of his gloves, face, and trousers in the dark catching light from the flashlight's beam. Without a single word Oliver dives into the water, heading straight for his lifeless body. Tears prickle the back of my eyes as the flashlight starts to dim from battery shortage, the two bodies becoming lost in the void. I hug Yasmin tightly to me as they blend into the black water surrounding them; Wakko is sandwiched in between us, our sobs echo across the walls. As the light finally blinks out, all the hope that we gathered for their survival dissipates and we are thrust into the cold unforgiving dark.


	6. The Loonies Part Two

Our sobs echoed throughout the cavern as the darkness surrounded us in its cruel embrace. Yakko and Oliver were gone; the flashlight's batteries not charged enough to continue to light their position under the murky depths. Wakko's crying had turned into shuddering wails for his brother's life; Yasmin became frail and stared into the dark waiting for something. What is was I didn't know; perhaps she was just in shock that the only boy she had ever loved had been taken from her grasp. I didn't care, all I knew was that it was my fault they were gone. I chose the movie, I made the deal, and I couldn't stop it from happening. Despite how much it hurt me, I stood to pull them away from the water, our need to keep moving so no one else would die nagging at me with every lead heavy move I made. I started to pull a screaming and torn Wakko away from the water when a splash from besides us erupted from the pool. I grabbed the candle and quickly lit it to see Oliver lugging a water logged mass of black fur behind him. I quickly handed the candle off to Remmy and waded into the water to help them onto the shore. Oliver carefully shoved him into my arms before collapsing onto the ground with exhaustion. Yakko felt like a ton in my hold, his body was like ice against mine. I laid him on the ground and began to give him CPR to relieve the water from his lungs. Around us the others huddled in hope that he was still there.

"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen..." I counted with each compression. Yasmin cried on Remmy's shoulder as she tried her best to not look at his lifeless body. Wakko watched his brother's face with hopeful eyes for a sign.

"Twenty one, twenty two, twenty three..."

I was just about to the limit for revival as he started to cough up water. Quickly I rolled him onto his side so he could expel the liquid from inside. I rubbed his back while he regained his breath and once he was done he latched onto me. His teeth were chattering and his hands felt like they were about to fall off from the cold. Without hesitation I removed my jacket and wrapped it around him in an effort to keep him warm. Yasmin and Wakko rushed over and began to hug him too, Remmy and Yumi following suit until everyone but Oliver was huddled on top of the freezing child. Eventually I made my way out of the swarm and over to Oliver who was shaking from the drafty air that filled the cave. Without a word I hugged him as tight as I could, his return telling me he knew what I was going to say.

"You act like we were dead." He joked through gritted teeth.

"We thought you were." I said with concern

"You know I couldn't have let you guys down. What kind of friend would I be if I hadn't come back?"

"A dead one."

He laughed at my pun and shook his head. He knew I was right, yet he still laughed. I glared at him with frustration, my arms crossing in the process. They both could've died in that water, didn't they know this wasn't a game?! This was a battle for our lives and almost we lost two in the first movie! With adrenaline coursing through my veins I walked back to the candle and whistled to call everyone to attention.

"So far we've found eight people out of eleven. We need to stay focused and find those other three so we can finish this movie without any more incidents, okay?" I ask even though they knew the answer. Yakko pushes his way out of the crowd and salutes me, his cocky ready to go attitude returning. The others share nods and looks of agreement between each other before giving a salute as well.

"Now, does anyone have any clue on which way that might be?"

Their looks of strength and determination dissolve into confusion as I hold the candle up to the splitting pathways in front of us. Yumi steps forward and scratches her chin. We look at her wondering what she was thinking. She holds out a finger and opens her mouth to say something, our looks of curiosity as intense as they could be.

"Eeny meeny miny moe..." She starts, pointing back and forth between the two paths. I smack my hand to my forehead and groan along with the others. She finishes and points to the left. Shaking my head I shrug before continuing down the path, what did we have to lo- Never mind... We followed the passage for a while only to run into a dead end.

"Now what?" Nicky asked. I was about to say turn around but my ears picked up the sound of scraping on the rocks above and I looked up into the ceiling which wasn't really a ceiling at all, instead it was a large chimney stack formation. I squint my eyes to see further up. Was that a foot?

"Dot, Alicia, Missie, are you guys up there?" I yell up the stack. The thing I think is a foot moves and is replaced by a small face peering down at me. Three other faces appeared next to her's, one belonging to Missie and another belonging to Alicia but the third one was new. It had a yellow bow on its left cat like ear and it seemed to be around Dot's age.

"Ema is that you? How'd you get here?" I question the girl's presence.

"We'll tell you later but for now we would really appreciate it if you would _GET US DOWN!_" Dot screamed making me grimace at the high pitch. I check the angle of the rock face, look at the girls, and then take a glance of the crowd around me. I grabbed a sheet from my MGB and stretched it to make sure it could withstand the strain. Yeah, like you don't know where this is going. I know it's over done, but it works in the movies! Just like my last sentence... But who cares, let's just get back to the story!

"Okay girls. We're going to hold out this sheet and you're going to jump on it, okay?" I shout up to them.

"Because that hasn't been done before..." Dot muttered to the others. I told you so...

"Do you want to get down or not?"

"...Yes."

"Then on the count of three. One... Two... _Three!_"

A shriek from the girls follows them as they tumble through the air. We pull the sheet tight right before they make impact onto its cloth surface. We're all pulled into the center with them, their weight more than I had anticipated for. Groans of pain fill the chamber while we regain our stability. Once we are fully recovered from knocking heads I turn to the girls to ask about Ema again.

"So how did she end up in here?" I ask Dot.

"I don't know. We were all talking about how it would be nice to see Ema's friendly face and to hear her kind words in this situation and she just appeared out of nowhere." Dot responded with a shrug.

"So you're telling me Ema was brought into this because you _thought_ about her?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah, I guess so."

At this Remmy and Wakko looked at each other with curiosity. I could tell they were plotting something in their wacky little heads by the way Wakko smiled after a few seconds.

"You don't think...?" Remmy trailed off.

"Nope. But I know what you're thinking and to that I say yes!" Wakko replies with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Thyne, Thyne, Thyne..." They chant together squeezing their eyes tightly. I try to get them to stop but I'm too late and Thyne shows up next to them. She looks bewildered and arches an eyebrow in confusion. The two squeal and hug her as they spill the entire story of what she's doing there in no time. Her look of confusion still remains even after they finish.

"Scary movie, creepy cat, demon deal, stuck in movie, Remmy and Wakko." I sum up her situation as simple as I can put it. She turns to the two and glares. They sheepishly smile at her, her intense stare trained to burn holes in their heads.

"Okay guys, now it's imperative that we don't bring anyone else in. The demon is just trying to get more people in this deal, but we're not going to give it more than we bargained for, right?"

"Hehe, yeah..." Yumi says nervously. I hang my head and sigh.

"Who is it?"

"Yumi, what am I doing here?" Tom's voice reaches my ears. Yumi laughs nervously and starts to explain everything to Tom very slowly so he can understand. I shoot a growl towards the ones who haven't brought anyone in and make them shrink back from any thoughts concerning the matter. The more people involved the more lives we were fighting for. And the only thing that did was fuel my fire to get through this first movie even more.


	7. The Loonies Part Three

After finding the girls and a few unexpected others we turned back down the path to take the other passage, this one a clear dead end. All that was left of our light source was a half burnt candle and two nearly drained flashlights, certainly not enough to last much longer in the damp underground caverns we were in. If we were going to make it out of this movie alive, we were going to have to move quicker in order to make our way back to the surface. On top of lighting troubles, there was also the matter of Yakko quickly gaining hypothermia from his dip in the water. He had started to shudder from the cold and soon his legs collapsed beneath him from the sickness setting within him. Carefully Thyne and Tom helped him onto their shoulders for support as we continued on. His condition was rapidly intensifying while we wandered down the second pathway, his breath becoming erratic. We were losing him fast, but there wasn't anything we could do even if we wanted to. I kept telling myself to just keep moving forward and to not look back, tears prickling the back of my eyes. How could I though? My cousin was slowly dying in front of me and the only thing I could do to stop it was to keep pushing our group forward to find an escape. And it wasn't just him that was in trouble. Alicia had scraped her arm pretty bad on the cliff where we found her and Yasmin was still sore from hitting the water so hard when she fell. They were trying to keep up with us through their pain; it wasn't as if they were going to die at any second. But in the situation we were going through, even the smallest of insignificant things could bring us to defeat and the loss of friend. We carried on this way for what felt like hours when the path opened up yet again to a wide cavern. Waving the light around my heart sank with a dreaded sight. There were five different tunnels before us, only one could be the right way, and we didn't have the time to guess which.

"We could split up and whoever has the right way can come back for the others." Missie suggested from behind.

"No, there's not enough time for that. Even if we did that how would we know that they've found it and that we should come back to meet them?" I ask shaking my head. We were out of options and looking at Yakko's drifting, slightly dazed eyes we were also out of time. Suddenly nearby the sound of a pebble tapping the floor made my head shoot up to find its source. There it was again sitting directly in front of us, a smirk spread across its face as if to mock us. The black cat. Anger spills from within me and hot tears stream down my face with frustration.

"_What the hell do you want?!_" I shout at it. It doesn't react at all, not even a flinch registers on its appearance. Instead it moves closer and walks around me in full head to toe evaluation. It was sizing me up as if I were prey, making my anger even stronger. I lunge to grab the feline but it darts away and I land on the ground with a thud. It sits right in front of my face and a strange sound starts to emanate from its vocal chords. I didn't want to believe it, but it sounded like the cat was laughing. I start to back up in shock, for the sound _is_ laughter and it's becoming more evident as the cat steps to follow me. Slowly I see the cat begin to grow in size, its paws losing their normal shape. Once it's reached the size of a dog it stands on its hind legs and continues to come towards me. Its laughter is becoming more human like, "it" turns out to be a "she". Her paws have changed into hands and her fur changes length into a ponytail and bangs, shots of five different colors on the tip of each individual piece. Her accent fur shows itself to be a light gray, a splotch of dark crimson brown covering her right eye. Both of them are now black as night and her nose is as red as a rose, her smile glistening like the Cheshire Cat's through the darkness that surrounds her. I bump into something behind me, its surface jagged against my back. It's the wall, my limit has been reached. Once upon me she stares down at me in pure amusement, her laugh becoming a lighter chuckle.

"Surprised Kitten?" She asks enjoying every second of my confusion.

"But how...?" I muster in a whisper.

"I figured you would be, after all it's not every day you see a demonic assistant transform before you."

"_You're_ its _assistant?!_"

"Well, well. I guess you _do_ have a brain after all. It shocks me considering the fact I had to help you make practically _all_ of your decisions. I mean c'mon, how could you have not seen that pathway?!"

She _had_ been mocking me. Even if I couldn't tell it, she had been.

"But not that it matters, you would've just ended up in this position anyways. Sick and hurting, literally begging for me to help without needing to say it." Her voice taunted.

"We don't _need_ nor do we want _your_ help!" I yell scooting over to the others. It was a complete lie, we needed her help more than anything. But I wasn't going to stoop so low as to let our _enemy's_ assistant help us with its challenge. She laughed and sauntered over to us in our small huddle.

"You always were such a bad liar when it came to difficult choices..."

"What do you mean _always_?"

"Well let's just say as a demon's assistant it's my job to look at the backgrounds of every person it deals with. And you my dear Kitten aren't exactly the hardest to understand. I know you wouldn't let your cousin, the closest thing you've got to a normal family, die because you don't trust me."

My heart stopped and my breath caught in my throat. She was right. Even though I hated the fact of trusting her, she was right about it. Yakko would die if we didn't get out of this place soon, his eyes slowly starting to droop closed. I looked at him and was filled with pain. This was all my fault, and if he was the first to die, they wouldn't have to worry about killing me. I would die of heartbreak rather than watch as my friends and family die in front of me. Turning back to her with tears starting to well in my eyes, I looked for mercy and pity upon us. She smiled with satisfaction at my defeat and chuckled lightly. It was a horrible wretched thing to do, even if she worked for a demon. But as I watched her bask in victory, I saw something strange come from within her. Her eyes had drifted over to where Yakko lay in Yasmin's arms, their love keeping him with us. I couldn't explain it, but it seemed almost as if her eyes looked... Remorseful. Why they did I would never know, yet the sight of them lingering there made me wonder just how bad she really was. The other part of me however still didn't trust her no matter how she looked and I scooted in front of her gaze to block him. This broke her trance and she was once again looking down at us with slitted eyes.

"So we have a deal?" The cat asked stretching out a hand to shake. I stare at it for a few seconds before reluctantly taking it. A smile spreads across her face and a glint goes across her black eyes. She wasn't meant to be trusted, but at this point I was willing to do anything.

"Good. Now if we're done groveling and bawling, let's get you heading down the right path." She muttered. With a flick of the wrist a blood red rose appeared in her hand, its petals plush against her black fur. She brushed her fingertips across it before raising it to her mouth. With a gentle blow the rose glided from her grasp and floated down the far right pathway as if guided by an unseen force. With a smirk she started to saunter after it like it was the leader. When we didn't follow she turned back to us with an arched eyebrow and cocked her hip.

"Do you want to get out of here or not?" She questioned unamused.

"A rose. You're trusting a rose with our lives." Yumi stated not wanting to believe it.

"Better the rose than my sense of direction. Don't worry Yum Yum, I don't bite... Yet."

Yumi stuck her tongue out at the nickname she had given her. The others followed suit and glared at her before looking to me, my judgment key. With a short growl I stepped forward with the flashlight to follow her.

"Come on guys, the sooner we get out of here the better..." I grumble with a sideways glare at her. She gives a little laugh and continues to follow the roses trail. Disappearing into the darkness again, we follow her carefully. Her footsteps are light against the ground as if she were a shadow moving along the walls. The only way we can be sure she is still there is by seeing her luminescent eyes watching us from somewhere in the dark. Her smile is like the Cheshire Cat's, only appearing as a white crescent shape against the black. Still wary of her trust, I position myself in front of the others just in case she goes to try something. I wasn't positive she was going to turn on us, but she was the demon's assistant and that reason alone was good enough not to trust her. Still, while we had her here I might as well take advantage of it.

"So why are you helping us?" I interrogate while I can.

"Does it matter? In the end if I don't get you guys out I'll end up back with him as a servant and you'll all get stuck with an eternity of living hell as his play toys..." She responds bitterly.

"But what does our escape have to do with you?"

"Let's just say it has to do with a deal I made a few years back."

"And you lost, didn't you?"

She stops dead in her tracks. With a snarl she whips around and glares at me, flames burning in her eyes. Her fists clench up and she looks as if she could tear me to shreds at any minute.

"You want to know what happened, you want to know why I'm helping you?! It's because I was a stupid girl who didn't know when to say I was wrong and that I should've given up! And because of that I have no family, no friends, I have no one! So if you want to get technical, yes I lost the deal!" She growls. Slowly her anger diminishes, her body slumping and her head hanging to the side. She's squeezing her eyes shut I can tell she's choking back a sob.

"And I don't want the same thing to happen to you. I could never wish that upon anyone else because to me I didn't just lose a deal. I lost them..."

"You lost family to him?" I ask quietly moving forward.

"...Yeah. They uh, they thought I was right. They thought we could beat him. But we should've known he wasn't going to play fair..."

"He cheated... ?"

"We were almost out, almost free. And then he..."

She holds back the tears and looks away embarrassed. Was I really seeing this? Was the ball of emotion in front of me really the ruthless feline who had been taunting us a few minutes before? I don't know. But in this moment I didn't care anymore. She was willing to disobey her master so we wouldn't have to suffer the same way. And that reason alone was good enough for me.

"You're not alone." I reassure her as I place my hand on her shoulder. She looks at me with surprise.

"What?" Her voice asks like a frightened child.

"You're risking yourself to help save my family. Someone who's that selfless shouldn't be alone."

"...Thank you Kitty."

"If anyone should be thanked it's you, uh..."

"Artemis. My name is Artemis."


	8. The Loonies Part Four

"How's he holding up?" I call back to Yasmin.

"He's still with us but his alertness is faltering. He feels so cold..." She says back. After gaining a better understanding of Artemis' motives we started back on the path to follow her rose in dire need of an escape for Yakko's sake. His hypothermia was getting worse, his legs not willing to support him any longer. It was then that Tom and Oliver had taken up the burden of carrying his weak body while Yasmin followed alongside him as a nurse. She was worried we weren't going to make it out in time, but then again everyone was. Artemis had understood this and ran ahead to make sure when we got to where the rose was going we would be able to leave this movie quickly.

"Just keep him with you. It shouldn't be much longer." I reassure her. Another lie. For all I knew the tunnel could go on for miles and at the end would only be a rock wall. But I had to keep them hoping for something, if not they would've just given up now. Suddenly a bright red light shines in front of my nose and I blink in surprise. Taking a closer look I see the silhouette of a rose as it floats right before me. It's Artemis telling us the end is close. Snatching it from the air I tuck it into my pocket and wave for the others to follow. At first I walk but soon I find myself running down the pathway, the others quickly catching up. Light, I see a light coming up ahead. And with the light I can see the edge of the rock walkway. I skid to a stop just before the end and turn to tell the others to do the same.

"Guys be careful, there's a cliff here and its got wa- _NO, STOP!_" I shout waving my arms in panic. They're moving too fast and before they can stop their momentum propels them into me and all of us go over the edge. Everyone is screaming, even Yakko, as we plummet to the ground below. But as I was trying to say earlier, it's not ground that we'll be hitting. It's water. It's not as cold as the pool from before, but it's not exactly a hot spring. Its current pulls us towards three splitting pathways as we try to paddle away. I reach for Dot who is struggling to swim against the current and pull her to me just as the group slides down different waterways. We should've been terrified; the end of our tunnels could've ended with anything. But we weren't for the rushing water and twisting tunnel felt more like a waterslide. Dot throws her arms up as we make a sharp left turn, a squeal of delight cascading off the walls. Suddenly something bumps me from behind and I start to spin around in the water. Once I'm turned enough I see that it's Ema, Alicia, and Yumi in a sitting conga line of sorts. They're all smiling and laughing as we do a short drop into an underground lake. I pop up to see them high fiving and giggling when another group plops down from higher up tunnel. It's Tom, Thyne, Missie, and Remmy. They're laughing too; their tunnel must've had the same type of turns as ours. With one group left I spot the other opening and wait for their shrieks of enjoyment to ring out from inside. Soon enough the sound can be heard and they all fly out of the tunnel before splashing down next to us. Oliver, Nicky, and Wakko begin treading water while Yasmin holds Yakko above water, a small smile appearing on his face. The water had warmed his body a little bit more and he was beginning to gain some more feeling. I swim over to help her but looking behind her I see something that makes me stop in wonder.

"Oh wow." I whisper. Everyone follows my gaze and begin to chatter with amazement. In front of us anchored into place is an old pirate ship, its last voyage centuries ago. And standing on the side of the deck is Artemis hanging onto the mast support rig with a smirk. She waves for us to come over and as fast as we can we swim up beside the ship. A rope ladder is hanging down from up top and we begin to climb it one by one, the fibers slippery from the water we're soaked with. Once we're all onboard we set about checking out our surroundings. Everything seems like it has been paused in time, dust and cobwebs as far the eye can see. Skeletons of the long deceased crew litter the sailing positions on deck, their posts unable to be left even after death. It truly was a sight to behold.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Artemis asks moving beside me.

"Yeah." I answer still taking in the breathtaking scenery.

"Do you have any ideas on how we're going to escape?"

"Nope. I was hoping you did."

She was about to say something else when a cracking sound creaks from behind us. Slowly we turn to see the frightening sight that's unfolding behind us. The skeleton of the ship's captain has somehow come to life and is now moving towards us with his rusty sword drawn. Artemis and I latch onto each other and scream as he lunges to attack us. We jump out of the way and run down to the main deck where the rest of the crew has also come to life. The rest of our group has already gathered in the center of the deck in a sort of kill circle ready to fight them off. Just then Artemis and I make eye contact, its go time. Leaping over the mass of bones huddled around them we land with weapons drawn, Artemis a short sword that was strapped to her thigh and I my toaster. Artemis and the group break from their battle stances to stare at me. The skeletons stop advancing and stare at me too. At least I think that's what they were doing, I couldn't really tell with their creepy eyeholes...

"What?" I ask confused.

"A toaster?" Artemis asks back just as confused.

"It worked when I was beating the mime."

After a few seconds more of staring she shrugs and yells a battle cry. Both sides rush towards each other and complete chaos erupts as bones start to fly. They try to fight us, but our "weapons" out match their swords. I say that because in addition to my toaster there were more out of place weapons like Yakko's paddle balls, Alicia's spoon, Dot's pet box, and Nicky's banana. Then of course there were the actual weapons like Wakko's mallet, Remmy's sword, and Oliver's gun that were taking them down too. With one final bash from my toaster the skeletons are disassembled and the threat is over.

"Well that was easy." Wakko smiles. But no one is celebrating, not yet. Wakko arches an eyebrow and turns around to see what we've been witnessing with shock. Building up behind him the skeletons are forming a giant marrow monster. Once the last piece is fit into place it roars at us, spit spraying all over us as it does so.

"Ever heard of say it don't spray it?" Yakko speaks unamused, all of us wiping the saliva off our faces. It roars again and slams its hand down to the left of us, the deck shattering into splinters under its weight. We drop our weapons and run to the front of the ship, fighting not such a good option this time.

"Now what do we do?!" Alicia yells as it gets closer.

"_Abandon ship!_" Wakko yells running off the plank beside us. One by one we do the same, all of us yelling out different cliché things such as "Geronimo!" and "Cannonball!". I splash into the water once more and begin paddling to where the others have climbed onto the rocks by the cavern wall. The Marrow Monster is slowly making its way towards us, its bone body not made to tread liquid.

"_We gotta' get out of here!_" Missie cries inspecting the rocks for a way out. Soon we join her and at last someone's hand finds a weak spot. We pry and pull at the crack but the rock isn't moving, the monster is getting closer. Suddenly a light bulb goes off in my head and I reach for my Gag Bag. After rummaging through the endless contents my hand wraps around what I'm looking for.

"Anyone got a match?" I shout to them.

"Here!" Thyne kneels down beside me and lights the fuse herself.

"_Hit the deck!_"

I throw it over my shoulder at the rocks and dive into the water again. Under the water I watch as the air above fills with a fiery explosion and bits of rock mixed with dust. The air then clears and we surface to suck in the oxygen we were deprived of.

"Dynamite... Nice." Artemis coughs with a pat on the back. I acknowledge the compliment before looking at the wall where I threw. What was once a crack is now a gaping hole to the outside. But the rest of the cavern couldn't stand the blemish in its structure and it's beginning to collapse.

"Let's go!" I shout pushing Dot through first as giant chunks of rock fall from above, each landing just inches away from us. Everyone else scrambles up the rocks to duck out the hole without hesitation, the monster only yards away. As soon as the last person is out I follow them through the opening, a huge chunk of rock crashing down behind me. It seals off the cavern and the monster as I back away to the rest of the group who are waiting for me by the shore of what looks like the ocean. No one speaks. The only sound that can be heard is the ocean crashing against the sandy shore.

"Did we just...?" Nicky starts breaking the silence.

"... Beat this movie?" I finish. Everyone looks at each other and then to the ocean as a loud crash explodes from the cavern wall a few miles away. It's the ship finally sailing after centuries of being locked away in the cavern. The sight of it sends a whoop of victory throughout the group, our first movie finally completed. Hugs are exchanged and sighs of relief are expelled while I look to find Yakko amongst the celebration. He's cheering too, his hypothermia fading away as the sunlight bathes him in its warmth. And if that wasn't enough, Yasmin kisses his cheek and hugs him tightly as he starts to blush bright red. I close my eyes with pure happiness. We finally made it through the first movie. But there were still many more to come. So taking in the sweet sound of victory one last time I open my eyes and look to the sunset with determination.

"On to the next." I say as the world becomes a blinding white light. This movie has ended. The next one has begun.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
